Fox News is reeling from an apparent hack of their Twitter account, after messages were posted in the very early a.m. hours purporting to break the (false) news that President Obama had been assassinated.

According to the tweets, Obama had just been shot by an unknown assailant while campaigning at a restaurant in Iowa, and died from the wounds. However, Obama was not in Iowa at all this past weekend, as evidenced by both the White House's public schedule and an absence of any available news reports showing him in the state -- and it would also be odd for him to have been campaigning at an Iowa restaurant after midnight.

FoxNews.com's Twitter feed for political news, FoxNewspolitics, was hacked early Monday morning.

Hackers sent out several malicious and false tweets claiming that President Obama had been assassinated. Those reports are incorrect, of course, and the president is spending the July 4 holiday with his family.

The hacking is being investigated, and FoxNews.com regrets any distress the false tweets may have created.

As the Huffington Post has reported, before these messages were posted the alleged hackers appear to have actually marked their work, beginning by replacing the Fox logo with an "SK" logo, and a new account description: "H4CK3D BY TH3 5CR1PT K1DD3S."

Messages were also posted on the account announcing the hack, but were then taken down and followed by the "news" of Obama's death.

The tweets in question, as following in chronological order:

Just regained full access to our Twitter and email. Happy 4th

@BarackObama has just passed. The President is dead. A sad 4th of July, indeed. President Barack Obama is dead

@BarackObama has just passed. Nearly 45 minutes ago, he was shot twice in the lower pelvic area and in the neck; shooter unknown. Bled out

@BarackObama shot twice at a Ross' restaurant in Iowa while campaigning. RIP Obama, best regards to the Obama family.

#ObamaDead, it's a sad 4th of July. RT to support the late president's family, and RIP. The shooter will be found